Once again, I'd done a bit of route scouting the night before, and picked up a few tips from Uncle-in-law Gerard (when picking up my bike in the morning from his generously-offered secure parking) -- but once rolling that knowledge was reduced to general sense of where I wanted to be heading, with the specifics entrusted to Garmin. The day's mission was to get from Cork to the mountain resort town of Killarney. My chosen tactic was to track south and west, effectively staying in County Cork as long as possible, before crossing into County Kerry and eventually coming up into Killarney from the south.
All of the "scenic drive" descriptors that kept appearing on maps to the south of Killarney proved to be accurate. A highlight was the mountain pass of Moll's Gap (above) which, while not even 1,000 feet above sea level, nevertheless offered sweeping views around each bend, with a rugged, rocky landscape punctuated by greens and yellows of hardy vegetation stretching from horizon ridges to valley bottoms. As for the road, it seemed it never straightened out and, even though it was midday Saturday, traffic in these parts was light. (Indeed, had it not been for the weekend gaggle of hardcore road cyclists who had taken over the outdoor cafe in Toonsbridge where I had earlier stopped for a bite of lunch, I might have been forgiven for thinking it was a sleepy Tuesday morning.) A short day in the saddle today, but the miles were quality.
This is not a sponsored advertisement for Garmin, but hrm, when my little handheld Oregon 300 eventually meets its end, I may have to give some consideration to the Zumo for my next GPS. I much prefer the versatility and general utility of the handheld units over to the automotive-specific models, but, at the same time, my handheld unit has never caused me to think that it's a piece of the secret of life.
Overwhelmed by this weighty question, I stayed up drinking in the hotel pub 'til 02:00 with the finest Norries of Cork.
Day total: 161 km, 4h00m Trip total: 494 km | Start: Cork, Co. Cork, Ireland. End: Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Soundtrack: Just a few hours of shuffle. |